qwazse

TT: There are two kinds of absence. The first kind PL no-shows and things fall apart in his absence. The second kind PL calls APL and preps him for whatever needs done. Either way you're missing a PL. They look the same on the books. But in one way his presence is still made known!

One of the hardest challenges in youth leadership is allowing time for reflection. For example, one of the dads and I routinely evaluate our tent set-up and configuration. Half the time before breakfast involves determining if we picked the best site, configured bedding in the best possible way, ventilated the tent/shelter too much/too little. It's all part of the ongoing critique to improve our technique. But with the boys (and young women in my crew), I'm a little less interrogative unless it's clear they are eager to have the discussion or we need to forestall death. Youth don'

Yes, do your homework. You'll find it rewarding getting know some of these folks. Talk to your sheriff's department as well. They may be able to put you in touch with a canine rescue group. Don't forget to ask the den's parents if they have any connections you all can leverage. Some troops and crews are also associated with fire halls and ambulance services. There may be a youth or young adult among them who can help. Bring it up at roundtable or give your district commish a call. I agree with BD that kids this age want to have fun, but for me at that age sports was a true

I'm a fan of the BSA pre-ODL uni's. Maybe that's because the boys who I've seen wearing them stand out and look very sharp. I like the ODL's epaulet simplicity for distinguishing cubs vs. boys, but think we botched it by insisting that Exploring and Venturing use green shirts. I would rather have tan/khaki shirts for all and go nuts with epaulet's of a color for each program area. -- Similar to the Scouts Queensland shoulder colors, but more translatable and mixable. -- For example a youth multiple of crew and troop, could order a half-green and half-red epaulets. A venturing officer

"Green Bar" Bill Hillcourt defined working as a patrol outdoors as the linchpin method of scouting. (The "Green Bar" patrol was the cracker-jack group that we all tried to live up to.) Some of the founders of this forum have close ties to him. Most of us got to know him for through his articles in Boys Life. I think I stopped using a flashlight to walk through the woods on a moonlit night thanks to him. But, I'm sure through other adults who were influenced by his training, I can attribute most of the fun stuff I know about scouting to him. Wood Badge is touted as the premier leade

Oh, the soul searching post-election! We had one boy who had to figure out that practical jokes needed to go before he could be worthy of votes. I thought that would be the worst, but then ... We had a boy who didn't get elected until the fourth try. He was notorious for turning every conversation into some sexual innuendo or another. His parents couldn't understand it. True, he was a hard worker. He would help younger scouts. He was friendly enough to every scout. But his mouth made the little ones uncomfortable. (And that's only what we would hear him say and call him on i

Most of the advise here is on how to adapt rather than change what's going on, and I'll guess I'll add to it. It is differently OK for you to go our of council or participate on different council committee's than your predecessor. That way, when you get together you can compare notes. There are a lot of niches to fill in OA. Find one. Fill it. Look out for the boys in your troop who might benefit from being an OA rep or even lodge chief. Support them. Don't assume that it's because of the old guard that your ideas are falling flat. Ask adults open-ended questions like "What was w

Thanks for the heads-up, I got me a pair of them canvas shorts!

Also, don't be surprised if the boys give you "blow back" on the PM! I think you're on the right track. Listen to the issues, they may be: - Cliques (like you've described). Youth don't always realize what they are doing to make other boys feel excluded. - Transportation. Youth don't know how to get to the store and buy stuff. In this day and age you almost always need a car. - Persistence. Fewer and fewer youth work a job where they have to knock on doors to sell something. This means they don't always know how to ask adults for things. - Discouragement. They may hear somethin

PM happens when you train boys to rig a large, comfortable meeting tarp the month before. Then at next month's camporee you bring the tarp and rope as planned (so you can demonstrate your youths' resourcefulness), and they leave the tarp folded on the ground, and use the rope to climb a tree by the latrine and leave enough lag in it that another patrol comes by and decoratively braids it around the latrine post. At least you have the tarp to crawl under if you are too lazy to set up your tent when it rains on night two ... not that I'm bitter or anything P.S. - Okay, it was venturi

Our Council exposure: "At last count 136 units need to be converted from Parents of units by December 31, 2012 or approximately 5,840 youth will be without the Scouting program. " That is a significant voting block. If you can coordinate the CORs and get them to a board meeting, a call to your council president that you wish to push a motion to postpone this action indefinitely might just demonstrate that this is not a group of leaders anyone wants to lose.

Two, You know how this happens. Somebody in MomOf's district asked for a rule, and the event organizers felt obliged to make one. Kent, My suggestion: Have the boys read the requirement. Then ask them if they think what they did meets it. If they say "Of course, don't you speak English?" then sign off. If they say "How is it different than my back yard if there aren't any Boy-Scouts there?", then schedule an opportunity to visit where a troop is setting up camp! Honestly, if I were an SM, I would love to meet the latter group of boys!

TT, it sounds like you have the right metrics. By the numbers, your second-years beat ours! Don't shrug off reporting advancement as well. IMHO each quarter, you should be able to describe your troop as # of scouts: On trail to first class (of those, how many joined that quarter), First class (of those, how many completed FC BOR that quarter), Eagle (of those, how many completed E-BOR that quarter). This is stuff that should get summarized at a committee meeting, then you should ask the committee, "So, from the BOR's was there any feedback from the boys that would give us an

The AoL, mastered, should get a boy a long way down the road to Tenderfoot. It is proof that the boy did his best. Best for this requirement meaning he recited the Scout Oath and Law while a Webelo. It's very likely the kid managed to do this as a W1, but DL didn't drill it at every meeting. The boy was victim of "once and done" and now has to pay the piper. Don't make the cost exorbitant. 1. Make sure he knows the meaning of tough words like trustworthy, reverent, and on my honor. 2. Give him the scout patch. 3. Tell him you look forward to hearing him say it all from memory so

Raingutter regatta Fishing derby Memorial Day parade Resident camp Fierman's parade Pack picnic That was our pack schedule post B&G, and my boys milked to the fullest. Plus they had April birthdays, so the den was invited, and for magic tricks the boys would be whipping and fusing rope or learning to play British Bulldog.

Warning: the more youth involvement, the more short term your calendar needs to be. A boy will say "I wish we could learn about fly fishing." and for him to feel like his troop is responsive, you need to put him in touch with the folks who could present within a month or so. Telling a kid that his MB was not part of the 5 year plan is a real buzz kill.

Anything to help fend off micromanaging demagogues.

Canoeing is just an example. Same principles apply to any kayaking, rafting, or small craft activity. The more diverse activities where a boy sees the principles applied, the better.

Be authentic as possible.

I'm a little more forgiving then Beav. I don't mind if they don't test on those 9 points in the context of a canoe trip or two. But, I don't want them testing before an adult. Simple reason, older boys forget those points no matter how well you've drilled it into them.* If you've executed 12 trips already, like as not you're going to forget some safety point. But, if you've had to test 4 or 5 crossovers every year, as well a trip afloat, earn canoeing MB, etc ... you've bettered the odds of having those points in your head when you need them! *Aren't you all glad that I didn't po

I love those RSO volunteers! Are you going to rotate in a lane or two of pistols for any boys who are also Venturers? If you have binoculars, some of the boys could serve as spotters for each shooter. My boys really enjoyed shooting sport evenings and weekends, not so much that they want to do it all the time. (Pity, because my oldest was a good shot.) But, it was great to get them the skill without my investing to heavily in equipment that would only get minimal use. Now that he's an adult, son #1 is investing in archery. My daughter did not enjoy it so much, but her fri

If you can lay out the steps, I'd greatly appreciate it. I learned that JavaScript doesn't mesh with our Google Site, and I tried to wrap it in a Google Gadget, but it's still not "humming" as smoothly as I would like. I know a little more hacking might come up with a resolution, but that would cut into my time replying to threads.

Cambridge, Did you know that rumor has it when JRR Tolkien visited Tennessee and Kentucky he took a great interest in many of the family names in the hills? Names like Brandybuck and Proudfoot that eventually made their way into his Trilogy. Anyway, I would suggest you nail down the week that you are coming and find out which little town's festivals and county fairs are happening. They are scattered throughout Appalachia, and a few do start as early as June. Most really nice "bed and Breakfast" inns are within a day's drive of major international airports.

Thanks. I'll share that with our boys! My observations: The current merit badge covers the ethics of copyright infringement. Flowcharting campsite set-up is not a requirement for the current Computers or Robotics MB. [insert Kudu's 21's Century Woodbadge Rant Here.] (This message has been edited by qwazse)

but mention the Roman Catholic Church and I'm sure that someone will find fault Ea, That does not negate that a very large number of folks depend on the Helpfulness of Catholic Charities for today's meal. Toastmasters, (at least the one meeting I attended) epitomized Friendliness and Courtesy. Is that what you're trying to get at DS?